According to a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) official, the government will spearhead a nationwide digital media literacy drive this year in order to teach the vulnerable sector “to be discerning of the truth” in social media.
On Friday, PCO Undersecretary Cherbett Karen Maralit stated at a side event to the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York that Congress has tasked the PCO with addressing the growing concern about misinformation and disinformation, particularly in the digital landscape.
“Backed by the budgetary support from the Philippine Congress and its confidence in the leadership of the PCO, we took the opportunity to develop mechanisms through which we can bring the online experiences of females of all ages into focus,” she said.
Noting that women’s and girls’ rights “continue to be undermined by disinformation and misinformation” at this time, she stated that the PCO would protect their rights and welfare through a digital media literacy campaign aimed at the most vulnerable communities.
“Taking a context-based and factual grassroots approach, we intend to reach out to and equip these communities with knowledge and skills and tools that will enable them to be discerning of the truth as they engage in various social media channels and platforms,” Maralit added.
